BNP-Jamaat rift weakens 4-party prospect in Satkhira
Local BNP firm on partymen's nomination in 3 former Jamaat seats
BNP-led four-party alliance partner Jamaat-e-Islami is finding it tough to retain the three constituencies in Satkhira district that they won in 2001 as local BNP leaders are demanding nomination of party men there for the upcoming parliament election. Aspirants from BNP have started campaign seeking alliance tickets to resist Jamaat candidates in Satkhira-2 (Sadar), Satkhira-3 (Assassuni and Debhata upazilas and four unions in Kaliganj upazila) and Satkhira-4 (Shyamnagar upazila and four unions in Kaliganj upazila) constituencies. After the recent delimitation there are four constituencies in the district -- Satkhira-1 (Tala-Kalaroa), Satkhira-2 (Sadar), Satkhira-3 (Assassuni and Debhata upazilas and four unions in Kaliganj upazila) and Satkhira-4 (Shyamnagar upazila and four unions in Kaliganj upazila). In 2001 elections, there were five constituencies -- Satkhira- 1 (Tala-Kalaroa), Satkhira-2 (Sadar), Satkhira-3 (Assassuni), Satkhira-4 (Kaliganj-Debhata) and Satkhira-5 (Shyamnagar upazila). Feud in the rank and file of BNP and Jamaat over nomination and difference between the local leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat in Satkhira-2, Satkhira-3 and Satkhira-4 constituencies seem to make bleak Jamaat's prospect for winning the seats. In 2001 elections, Jamaat leaders Maulana Abdul Khaleque Mondal, Maulana Riasat Ali Biswas and Gazi Nazrul Islam, who contested as alliance candidates won in Satkhira-2, Satkhira-3 and Satkhira-5 constituencies defeating Awami League (AL) candidates. Alliance partners BNP and BJP won in Satkhira-1 and Satkhira-3 constituencies. In 1996, AL won in Satkhira-1, Satkhira-3 and Satkhira-5 while Jamaat won in Satkhira-2 and Jatiya Party (Ershad) won in Satkhira-3 constituency. Several front ranking local BNP leaders said BNP leaders and activists are unhappy with former Jamaat lawmaker Abdul Khaleque Mondal, Riasat Ali and Gazi Nazrul Islam as they allegedly ignored BNP men during their tenure. Amid mounting pressure from local BNP leaders and activists, former minister Syeda Asia Foyez, Satkhira district BNP member secretary Samsuzzoha Bablu and BNP leader and former Satkhira pourasava mayor Abdul Jalil have started election campaign seeking four-party alliance ticket to contest in the upcoming election from Satkhira-2 constituency, party sources said. Former BNP lawmaker Principal Ali Ahmed, former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader Safiqul Islam Shahed, Dab central leader Dr Shahidul Alam, Assassuni upazila BNP convenor Rafiqul Islam and an influential BNP leader advocate Barun Biswas are campaigning for alliance ticket from Satkhira-3, party sources said. Former Satkhira district BNP general secretary advocate Syed Iftekhar Ali and Shyamnagar upazila BNP convenor Abdul Wahed have started election campaign seeking alliance ticket in Satkhira-4. Several BNP leaders claimed that Jamaat leader Abdul Khaleque Mondal and Riasat Ali were elected from Satkhira-2 and Satkhira-3 seats with BNP votes in 2001. When contacted, Principal Ali Ahmed, Dr Shahidul Alam, advocate Syed Iftekhar Ali, Samsuzzoha Bablu and Rafiqul Islam said they submitted nomination papers following pressure from the party men and assurance from party high ups. They said the Jamaat lawmakers failed to fulfill their pre-election pledges and did very little development work in the constituency, much to the damage of the image of four-party alliance. Meanwhile BNP leaders and activists in Shyamnagar are opposing possible nomination of former Jamaat lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam as an alliance candidate for Satkhira-4 constituency. “Gazi Nazrul won the last election with BNP votes. This time it will be hard to convince BNP men to vote for him as he created rift between BNP and Jamaat,” Shyamnagar upazila BNP convenor Abdul Wahed said. When contacted separately, Maulana Abdul Khaleque, Maulana Riasat Ali and Gazi Nazrul Islam refuted the allegations by BNP men and said they are trying to work with BNP to retain the seats as the alliance high ups assured them of nomination.
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